In a sudden twist of fate, Napoli midfielder Michael Folorunsho is close to leaving the club less than two months after penning a contract extension. According to Calciomercato, three Serie A clubs harbor a genuine interest in the Italy international, with Atalanta, Fiorentina, and Lazio bidding to sign the Partenopei outcast.
Folorunsho seemed on the cusp of swapping Napoli for Atalanta earlier in August. La Dea offered €15 million plus €3m in add-ons to secure his move to Bergamo. However, the deal collapsed at the 11th hour due to Napoli’s request for a future resale percentage.
Then, Gianluca Scamacca’s injury kicked in, forcing Atalanta to change priorities. Despite altering their transfer plans, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side could soon knock on Aurelio De Laurentiis’ door. With Juventus vying for Teun Koopmeiners’ services, they’ll likely need a new midfielder.
Napoli are open to selling the 26-year-old. But Atalanta are not alone in this race. Lazio can take advantage of Folorunsho’s close relationship with manager Marco Baroni, who coached him at Hellas Verona last season. Baroni would like to reunite with the Italian star at the Stadio Olimpico.
Fiorentina are also in the mix for the Napoli misfit after their pursuit of Juventus’ Weston McKennie came a cropper. Raffaele Palladino’s men have lost three midfielders on free transfers this summer. Therefore, they remain in the market to fill the vacancy.
Napoli boss Antonio Conte doesn’t count on Folorunsho. It probably means the former Serie A champions will look to add to their midfield options this summer.
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